Pittsburgh Steelers seasons that exceeded expectations the most

Pittsburgh Steelers seasons that exceeded expectations the most

When September rolls around, NFL fans are champing at the bit for the season to start. They've already gotten a taste from the preseason, read up on their team's draft picks, and made predictions about how the season should go with their team's roster. Adrenaline is high during Week 1 and often doesn't wear off until Week 18. A tough loss could end in tears, for both the team and its fans.

It's hard for people who aren't fanatics to wrap their heads around how a sport could evoke so much emotion, but there's a psychological explanation for fandom.

For many, a team association ties into self-esteem and identity. It has been proved that people receive a self-esteem boost from associating with successful individuals or groups, which is why fans are more likely to wear team gear the day after a win than the day after a loss, and die-hards speak about team successes in first person and failures in third person. Shared fandom also provides a sense of connection, whether it be with friends who follow the same team or via strangers bonding at a game, and all humans have a need for connectedness.

A Super Bowl win, the pinnacle of the sport, can bring a city together and give fans a personal sense of pride and satisfaction. Conversely, when a team has a particularly disappointing season or loses in the playoffs, it can feel like a gut punch.

Stacker compiled a list featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers seasons that most exceeded expectations since 2000 using data from Pro Football Reference. Each season was selected based on the number of wins by which the team overperformed its preseason over/under for that season. Ties were broken via the highest preseason over/under.

#5. Pittsburgh Steelers 2017
- Preseason over/under: 10.5 wins
- Season record: 13-3 (2.5 games over)

#4. Pittsburgh Steelers 2008
- Preseason over/under: 9 wins
- Season record: 12-4 (3 games over)

#3. Pittsburgh Steelers 2010
- Preseason over/under: 8.5 wins
- Season record: 12-4 (3.5 games over)

#2. Pittsburgh Steelers 2001
- Preseason over/under: 7.5 wins
- Season record: 13-3 (5.5 games over)

#1. Pittsburgh Steelers 2004
- Preseason over/under: 7.5 wins
- Season record: 15-1 (7.5 games over)